INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s unemployment rate edged higher in August from July.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development said Friday the rate was 3.5 percent, up from 3.4 percent in July.

The state’s rate remained below the national rate of 3.9 percent. With the exception of October 2014, when it was equal to the national rate, the state’s unemployment rate has been below the U.S. rate for more than four years.

Indiana’s labor force had a net increase of more than 11,000 over the previous month, which was a result of nearly 2,600 unemployed residents no longer seeking employment and a nearly 8,500 increase in residents employed. The state says Indiana’s total labor force is about 3.4 million.